COUNCILLORS voted not to cancel the Javelin Park incinerator contract today at Shire Hall.

Including UKIP’s three councillors, 27 Gloucestershire County Council members voted against the motion to cancel the controversial mass waste burner.

There were 24 councillors who voted for the cancellation and one abstention.

The motion put forward by Labour was defeated therefore by three votes.

All three UKIP councillors voted against the motion to cancel the incinerator.

During the course of the extraordinary meeting UKIP group leader, cllr Alan Preest made it clear that the UKIP councillors were not being whipped to vote a particular way.

Commenting on how close the vote was, GlosVAIN's Sue Oppenhiemer said: "It was just so disappointing to see an issue entirely agreed on party lines and seeing UKIP councillors playing the role of deciders on this and not listening to many many thousands of local people."

Labour group leader, cllr Lesley Williams added: "I am horrified that UKIP would make up their minds before the debate had ended.

“I did not expect to see them going to bed with the Conservatives quite so quickly."

During the course of the meeting Ms Oppenhiemer presented GCC members the petition which listed over 7,600 signatures of those opposing the unpopular waste facility.

Prior to the meeting UKIP issued a statement which said: “As UKIP councillors we pride ourselves on a non-whipped stance.

“No doubt that next Wednesday both cllrs Guyton and Leppington and myself will vote as we see fit for the good of Gloucestershire.”

Meanwhile GlosVAIN's Sue Oppenhiemer is hoping that Stroud District Council is successful with its legal challenge against Eric Pickles’ decision to give the incinerator the go ahead.

She said: "We're continuing to pursue access to the information because nobody has seen the contract.

“There's a new bit of government legislation that came out in the autumn called the new Local Government Transparency Code 2014 that says that there's no excuse for councils to hide behind commercial confidentiality on contracts and all the information should be in the public domain so we will pursue that to a hilt.

“We want to get the information out there and show what a bad deal this was for Gloucestershire and also how it's been mismanaged by the administration."

David Drew, Labour’s candidate for Stroud has expressed his disappointment with the outcome of the vote. He has promised an investigation into the contract process and site acquisition if he is elected in May.

He said: “I will campaign to ensure that people do not have a decision like this forced upon them again.”